Two of the 181 passengers on the train and the engineer were injured and taken by ambulance to Lakewood Hospital near Staples, according to Amtrak spokeswoman ­Christina Lee. One of those passengers returned to the train, while the other remained at the hospital, Lee added.

Several other passengers and four train workers were slightly hurt and treated at the scene.

The train was heading from Seattle to Chicago, when about 2:15 p.m. it hit the truck, which was traveling northwest on 317th, authorities said.

That spot along the tracks is marked with crossbucks and does not have warning lights or crossing arms, Lee said.

The train fell further behind schedule by about seven hours while it was out of service for repairs, according to Lee. No passengers sought alternative transportation, she said.

The train was already running late before the crash, primarily because of congestion along the route and signal problems, Lee said.